the lost princess of oz-第20部分

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〃What　has　happened；　Corporal　Waddle？〃







〃Captives；　Your　Majesty！〃　answered　　the　Brown　Bear。



〃Intruders　upon　our　domain　and　slanderers　of　our　good



name。〃







〃Ah；　that's　important；〃　answered　the　voice。







Then　from　out　the　hollow　trees　tumbled　a　whole



regiment　of　stuffed　bears；　some　carrying　tin　swords；



some　popguns　and　other　long　spears　with　gay　ribbons



tied　to　the　handles。　There　were　hundreds　of　them；



altogether；　and　they　quickly　formed　a　circle　around　the



Frogman　and　the　Cookie　Cook　but　kept　at　a　distance　and



left　a　large　space　for　the　prisoners　to　stand　in。







Presently　this　circle　parted　and　into　the　center　of



it　stalked　a　huge　toy　bear　of　a　lovely　lavender　color。



He　walked　upon　his　hind　legs；　as　did　all　the　others；



and　on　his　head　he　wore　a　tin　crown　set　with　diamonds



and　amethysts；　while　in　one　paw　he　carried　a　short　wand



of　some；　glimmering　metal　that　resembled　silver　but



wasn't。







〃His　Majesty　the　King！〃　shouted　Corporal　Waddle；　and



all　the　bears　bowed　low。　Some　bowed　so　low　that　they



lost　their　balance　and　toppled　over；　but　they　soon



scrambled　up　again　and　the　Lavender　King　squatted　on



his　haunches　before　the　prisoners　and　gazed　at　them



steadily　with　his　bright　pink　eyes。



















Chapter　Sixteen







The　Little　Pink　Bear











〃One　Person　and　one　Freak；〃　said　the　big　Lavender　Bear；



when　he　had　carefully　examined　the　strangers。







〃I　am　sorry　to　hear　you　call　poor　Cayke　the　Cookie



Cook　a　Freak；〃　remonstrated　the　Frogman。







〃She　is　the　Person；〃　asserted　the　King。　〃Unless　I　am



mistaken；　it　is　you　who　are　the　Freak。〃







The　Frogman　was　silent；　for　he　could　not　truthfully



deny　it。







〃Why　have　you　dared　intrude　in　my　forest？〃　demanded



the　Bear　King。







〃We　didn't　know　it　was　your　forest；〃　said　Cayke；　〃and



we　are　on　our　way　to　the　far　east；　where　the　Emerald



City　is。〃







〃Ah；　it's　a　long　way　from　here　to　the　Emerald　City；〃



remarked　the　King。　〃It　is　so　far　away；　indeed；　that　no



bear　among　us　has　ever　been　there。　But　what　errand



requires　you　to　travel　such　a　distance？〃







〃Someone　has　stolen　my　diamond…studded　gold　dishpan；〃



explained　Cayke；　〃and；　as　I　cannot　be　happy　without　it；



I　have　decided　to　search　the　world　over　until　I　find　it



again。　The　Frogman；　who　is　very　learned　and　wonderfully



wise；　has　come　with　me　to　give　me　his　assistance。　Isn't



it　kind　of　him？〃







The　King　looked　at　the　Frogman。







〃What　makes　you　so　wonderfully　wise？〃　he　asked。







〃I'm　not；〃　was　the　candid　reply。　〃The　Cookie　Cook；



and　some　others　in　the　Yip　Country；　think　because　I　am



a　big　frog　and　talk　and　act　like　a　man；　that　I　must　be



very　wise。　I　have　learned　more　than　a　frog　usually



knows；　it　is　true；　but　I　am　not　yet　so　wise　as　I　hope



to　become　at　some　future　time。〃







The　King　nodded；　and　when　he　did　so　something



squeaked　in　his　chest。







〃Did　Your　Majesty　speak？〃　asked　Cayke。







〃Not　just　then；〃　answered　the　Lavender　Bear；　seeming



to　be　somewhat　embarrassed。　〃I　am　so　built；　you　must



know；　that　when　anything　pushes　against　my　chest；　as　my



chin　accidentally　did　just　then；　I　make　that　silly



noise。　In　this　city　it　isn't　considered　good　manners　to



notice　it。　But　I　like　your　Frogman。　He　is　honest　and



truthful；　which　is　more　than　can　be　said　of　many



others。　As　for　your　late　lamented　dishpan；　I'll　show　it



to　you。







With　this　he　waved　three　times　the　metal　wand　which



he　held　in　his　paw　and　instantly　there　appeared　upon



the　ground；　midway　between　the　King　and　Cayke；　a　big



round　pan　made　of　beaten　gold。　Around　the　top　edge　was



a　row　of　small　diamonds；　around　the　center　of　the　pan



was　another　row　of　larger　diamonds；　and　at　the　bottom



was　a　row　of　exceedingly　large　and　brilliant　diamonds。



In　fact；　they　all　sparkled　magnificently　and　the　pan



was　so　big　and　broad　that　it　took　a　lot　of　diamonds　to



go　around　it　three　times。







Cayke　stared　so　hard　that　her　eyes　seemed　about　to



pop　out　of　her　head。







〃O…o…oh！〃　she　exclaimed；　drawing　a　deep　breath　of



delight。







〃Is　this　your　dishpan？〃　inquired　the　King。







〃It　is　　it　is！〃　cried　the　Cookie　Cook；　and　rushing



forward　she　fell　on　her　knees　and　threw　her　arms　around



the　precious　pan。　But　her　arms　came　together　without



meeting　any　resistance　at　all。　Cayke　tried　to　seize　the



edge；　but　found　nothing　to　grasp。　The　pan　was　surely



there；　she　thought；　for　she　could　see　it　plainly；　but



it　was　not　solid；　she　could　not　feel　it　at　all。　With　a



moan　of　astonishment　and　despair　she　raised　her　head　to



look　at　the　Bear　King；　who　was　watching　her　actions



curiously。　Then　she　turned　to　the　pan　again；　only　to



find　it　had　completely　disappeared。







〃Poor　creature！〃　murmured　the　King　pityingly。　〃You



must　have　thought；　for　the　moment；　that　you　had



actually　recovered　your　dishpan。　But　what　you　saw　was



merely　the　image　of　it；　conjured　up　by　means　of　my



magic。　It　is　a　pretty　dishpan；　indeed；　though　rather



big　and　awkward　to　handle。　I　hope　you　will　some　day



find　it。〃







Cayke　was　grievously　disappointed。　She　began　to　cry；



wiping　her　eyes　on　her　apron。　The　King　turned　to　the



throng　of　toy　bears　surrounding　him　and　asked：







〃Has　any　of　you　ever　seen　this　golden　dishpan



before？〃







〃No；〃　they　answered　in　a　chorus。







The　King　seemed　to　reflect。　Presently　he　inquired：







〃Where　is　the　Little　Pink　Bear？〃







〃At　home；　Your　Majesty；〃　was　the　reply。







〃Fetch　him　here；〃　commanded　the　King。







Several　of　the　bears　waddled　over　to　one　of　the　trees



and　pulled　from　its　hollow　a　tiny　pink　bear；　smaller



than　any　of　the　others。　A　big　white　bear　carried　the



pink　one　in　his　arms　and　set　it　down　beside　the　King；



arranging　the　joints　of　its　legs　so　that　it　would　stand



upright。







This　Pink　Bear　seemed　lifeless　until　the　King　turned



a　crank　which　protruded　from　its　side；　when　the　little



creature　turned　its　head　stiffly　from　side　to　side　and



said　in　a　small　shrill　voice：







〃Hurrah　for　the　King　of　Bear　Center！〃







〃Very　good；〃　said　the　big　Lavender　Bear；　〃he　seems　to



be　working　very　well　today。　Tell　me；　my　Pink　Pinkerton；



what　has　become　of　this　lady's　jeweled　dishpan？〃







〃U…u…u；〃　said　the　Pink　Bear；　and　then　stopped　short。







The　King　turned　the　crank　again。







〃U…g…u　the　Shoemaker　has　it；〃　said　the　Pink　Bear。







〃Who　is　Ugu　the　Shoemaker？〃　demanded　the　King；　again



turning　the　crank。







〃A　magician　who　lives　on　a　mountain　in　a　wickerwork



castle；〃　was　the　reply。







〃Where　is　this　mountain？〃　was　the　next　question。







〃Nineteen　miles　and　three　furlongs　from　Bear　Center



to　the　northeast。〃







〃And　is　the　dishpan　still　at　the　castle　of　Ugu　the



Shoemaker？〃　asked　the　King。







〃It　is。〃







The　King　turned　to　Cayke。







〃You　may　rely　on　this　information；〃　said　he。　〃The



Pink　Bear　can　tell　us　anything　we　wish　to　know；　and　his



words　are　always　words　of　truth。〃







〃Is　he　alive？〃　asked　the　Frogman；　much　interested　in



the　Pink　Bear。







〃Something　animates　him　　when　you　turn　his　crank；〃



replied　the　King。　〃I　do　not　know　if　it　is　life；　or　what



it　is；　or　how　it　happens　that　the　Little　Pink　Bear　can



answer　correctly　every　question　put　to　him。　We



discovered　his　talent　a　long　time　ago　and　whenever　we



wish　to　know　anything　　which　is　not　very　often　　we



ask　the　Pink　Bear。　There　is　no　doubt　whatever；　madam；



that　Ugu　the　Magician　has　your　dishpan；　and　if　you　dare



go　to　him　you　may　be　able　to　recover　it。　But　of　that　I



am　not　certain。〃







〃Can't　the　Pink　Bear　tell？〃　asked　Cayke　anxiously。







〃No；　for　that　is　in　the　future。　He　can　tell　anything



that　has　happened；　but　nothing　that　is　going



to　happen。　Don't　ask　me　why；　for　I　don't　know。〃







〃Well；〃　said　the　Cookie　Cook；　after　a　little　thought；



〃I　mean　to　go　to　this　magician；　anyhow；　and　tell　him　I



want　my　dishpan。　I　wish　I　knew　what　Ugu　the　Shoemaker



is　like。〃







〃Then　I'll　show　him　to　you；〃　promised　the　King。　〃But



do　not　be　frightened；　it　won't　be　Ugu；　remember；　but



only　his　image。〃







With　this　he　waved　his　metal　wand　again　and　in　the



circle　suddenly　appeared　a　thin　little　man；　very　old



and　skinny；　who　was　seated　on　a　wicker　stool　before　a



wicker　table。　On　the　table　lay　a　Great　Book　with　gold



clasps。　The　Book　was　open　and　the　man　was　reading　in



it。　He　wore　great　spectacles；　which　were　fastened



before　his　eyes　by　means　of　a　ribbon　that　passed　around



his　head　and　was　tied　in　a　bow　at　the　back。　His　hair



was　very　thin　and　white；　his　skin；　which　clung　fast　to



his　bones；　was　brown　and　seared　with　furrows；　he　had　a



big；　fat　nose　and　little　eyes　set　close　together。







On　no　account　was　Ugu　the　Shoemaker　a　pleasant　person



to　gaze　at。　As　his　image　appeared　before　them；　all　were



silent　and　intent　until　Corporal　Waddle；　the　Brown



Bear；　became　nervous　and　Pulled　the　trigger　of　his　gun。



Instantly　the　cork　flew　out　of　the　tin　barrel　with　a



loud　〃pop！〃　that　made　them　all　jump。　And；　at　this



sound；　the　image　of　the　magician　vanished。







〃So！　that's　the　thief；　is　it？〃　said　Cayke；　in　an